> How does it get to this point? Most Russians just assume that's how things got to be run everywhere and just perceive it as a normal state of affairs: whoeve

> How does it get to this point? Most Russians just assume that's how things got to be run everywhere and just perceive it as a normal state of affairs: whoever has the biggest stick, has the privileges. Many just openly say that if they were in a position of power they would do the same. Russians respect brute force, but they don't respect money; so they are much more irritated by privilege and extravagance displayed by businessmen, even if it's earned in a legal and ethical way, than by someone in a position of power, especially (as in cases of police, fsb and other sikovikis) if it's power rooted in violence.